Let Charles Perrault take you to the dark road
Fairy tales are devoid of impurity, where children found out that those who work hard will be rewarded. This is the case of Cinderella, but the original version of the other stories is far from it. Charles Perrault, who would celebrate his birthday on January 12, penned a darker version of these folk stories.
Consider the original version of "Snow White", where the queen was tortured by having red, hot shoes placed on her feet. She was ordered to dance to her death. This won't be the image that Walt Disney would adapt to the big screen. The Brothers Grimm omitted this part, as there were many versions of the tale. The siblings wanted their own vision. They also needed money, and a wholesome material would attract more readers. (They don't want to risk the ire of authorities, who upheld strict moral customs.) It happened that Hollywood's recent adaptation of fairy tales were true to their original form.
In the case of Perrault, you may wonder about the original version of his fairy tales. Be prepared for the unexpected:
Cinderella. Everyone knew that Cinderella had only one dance, but Perrault thought the poor girl deserved more. She danced with the prince in three different occasions. Disney might have thought of it, even reconsidered it in the animated version. The current Disney producers didn't include it in its live-action version (of the fairy tale). Maybe Cinderella's plight would attract more viewers, but it could be nice if she had the entire night with the prince.
Little Red Riding Hood. The moral of Perrault's story was to take heed of the advice of elders. This cost Little Red Riding Hood her life - and her grandmother's. This was a tragic ending, and the variations didn't differ from the original version. (One ending saw a woodcutter slicing the belly of the fox, so grandmother and granddaughter would be free.) Recent versions saw Little Red Riding Hood taking the matter into her own hands. This would reflect the change of attitude towards women.
Puss in Boots. DreamWorks Animation thought of a fugitive cat, who could recite romantic verses and make the female cats swoon in his presence. Perrault's depiction was Cyrano de Bergerac in four legs, as his story illustrated the importance of fine clothing. Romance was still an integral part of the tale.
Sleeping Beauty. Prince Phillip defeated Maleficent and saved Princess Aurora from eternal slumber. This was the first half of Perrault's story. The other half saw the two settled down and having two children. But Aurora had no idea that Phillip's mother was an ogre. And she had her sights on their healthy kids. This one would have made a good movie, but Disney and DreamWorks Animation didn't give it another thought. Shrek had a movie of his own.
